VERSATILITY OF MECHANICAL EVENT SIMULATION EXPANDED FOR ENGINEERS CONSIDERING HYDROSTATIC LOADS

Algor’s Accupak family of products now allows engineers to apply hydrostatic loads to virtually all FEA element types. This illustration shows the hydrostatic pressure data input window where the engineer can specify to which surfaces hydrostatic pressure will be applied, the location of the fluid surface and the weight density of the fluid. The larger background image shows results of an Algor Mechanical Event Simulation involving hydrostatic loads on a steel scuba tank located 200 feet below sea level.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Sept. 18, 2000 - Algor, Inc., a leading maker of software for mechanical engineers, today announced the capability to apply hydrostatic loads to a larger number of element types, expanding the versatility of its Accupak Mechanical Event Simulation (MES) family of products.

In finite element analysis, hydrostatic loads represent the pressure on a part or assembly when submerged in a fluid. Previously available for Algor’s linear static product line, hydrostatic loads can now be applied to the following Accupak elements: plate/shell, 2-D flexible solid, 2-D kinematic, 3-D brick, 3-D tetrahedral and 3-D kinematic.

"Algor’s Accupak products can now be used to model nearly any hydrostatic load an engineer could encounter," said Michael L. Bussler, Algor president.

Algor’s ability to consider hydrostatic loads allows engineers to model objects that are completely submerged in a fluid, partially submerged or oscillating above and below the surface. MES automatically takes into account that hydrostatic pressure only applies to the areas of the model that are below the surface of the fluid at any time during the analysis. Because MES analyzes events in time steps, Accupak can accurately determine hydrostatic pressure even as it changes.

Algor customers with current technical support and maintenance agreements can secure a complete software update, including the new hydrostatic capabilities through Algor’s Web site (www.algor.com) or an Algor account representative. Algor’s software works with Windows NT/95/98/2000.

Algor has been a leader in the engineering software industry since introducing FEA for PCs in 1984 and interfacing with CAD systems in 1985. The company provides innovative, affordable and easy-to-use software products that have enabled 20,000 engineers in 60 countries to create safe, efficient, cost-effective designs. Algor also offers superior educational support and customer service that includes the use of state-of-the-art Internet audio/video technology for "Web Courses," which provide step-by-step software instruction, and free public "Webcasts" in live demonstration format.

Algor’s product line features FEA-based Accupak/VE Mechanical Event Simulation software. Accupak/VE reduces the need for physical prototyping and eliminates the need to input dynamic loads by determining the motion, flexing and resulting stresses of a part or assembly at each instant of an event. Algor’s proprietary kinematic element technology makes performing Mechanical Event Simulations using CAD solid parts and assemblies practical for realistic, accurate results. Engineers can use Algor’s InCAD^Plus and InCAD DesignPak products to seamlessly capture exact CAD geometry from popular CAD systems within Algor. The company also offers linear stress, vibration, heat transfer, electrostatic, fluid flow, composite materials and piping systems analysis tools. Algor’s software interchanges data with products from ANSYS, Inc. (Nasdaq:ANSS), Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), CADKEY Corporation, MSC.Software Corporation (NYSE:MNS), Parametric Technology Corporation, Structural Dynamics Research Corporation, Unigraphics Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:UGS), SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systemes S.A. (Nasdaq:DASTY) company, and others.